Efficacy of Self-Expandable Absorbable Stents during Liver Transplant to Minimize Early Biliary Complications.

OBJECTIVE: We analyzed the use of a self-expandable absorbable biliary stent (SEABS) to reduce biliary complications in liver transplant (LT). BACKGROUND: Complications related to biliary anastomosis are a still a challenge in LT with a high impact on the patient outcomes and hospital costs. METHODS: This non-randomized prospective study was conducted between July 2019 and September 2023 in adult LT patients with duct-to-duct biliary anastomoses. The primary endpoint was to assess early biliary complications at 90 days in LT patients with intraoperative SEABS versus no SEABS. We also compared overall biliary complications, costs and SEABS- adverse effects related. RESULTS: A total of 158 patients were included, 78 with SEABS and 80 no-SEABS (22 T-tube and 58 no-stent). There were no adverse effects related to SEABS. Early biliary complications (23.8 vs 2.6%, P <0.001) and hospital stay (19 vs 15 days, P= 0.001) were higher in no-SEABS. No-SEABS group required 63 ERCPs and 13 surgeries (including 2 LT) versus 35 ERCPs and 2 surgeries in SEABS group. After PSM between SEABS (n=58) vs no-SEABS (n=58), early biliary complications (40% vs 0%, P<.001) were higher in no-SEABS group. T-tube had more early biliary complications (22.7% vs 5%, P=0.23) compared SEABS high-risk biliary anastomosis. SEABS excess cost per patient was lower compared to T-Tube and no-stent (6.988€ vs 17.992€ vs 36.364€, P=0.036 and P=0.002, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: SEABS during biliary anastomosis in LT is feasible with no adverse effects and avoid the T-tube in high-risk biliary anastomoses. It use has been associated with less early biliary complications, hospital costs and reoperations or interventional treatments for biliary complications resolution.

Women Are Also Disadvantaged in Accessing Transplant Outside the United States: Analysis of the Spanish Liver Transplantation Registry.

Sex inequities in liver transplantation (LT) have been documented in several, mostly US-based, studies. Our aim was to describe sex-related differences in access to LT in a system with short waiting times. All adult patients registered in the RETH-Spanish Liver Transplant Registry (2000-2022) for LT were included. Baseline demographics, presence of hepatocellular carcinoma, cause and severity of liver disease, time on the waiting list (WL), access to transplantation, and reasons for removal from the WL were assessed. 14,385 patients were analysed (77% men, 56.2 ± 8.7 years). Model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score was reported for 5,475 patients (mean value: 16.6 ± 5.7). Women were less likely to receive a transplant than men (OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.63, 0.97) with a trend to a higher risk of exclusion for deterioration (HR 1.17, 95% CI 0.99, 1.38), despite similar disease severity. Women waited longer on the WL (198.6 ± 338.9 vs. 173.3 ± 285.5 days, p < 0.001). Recently, women's risk of dropout has reduced, concomitantly with shorter WL times. Even in countries with short waiting times, women are disadvantaged in LT. Policies directed at optimizing the whole LT network should be encouraged to guarantee a fair and equal access of all patients to this life saving resource.

Conversion to open surgery in obese patients undergoing minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy: results from a multicenter analysis.

BACKGROUND: Although minimally invasive distal pancreatectomy (MIDP) is considered a standard approach it still presents a non-negligible rate of conversion to open that is mainly related to some difficulty factors, as obesity. The aim of this study is to analyze the preoperative factors associated with conversion in obese patients with MIDP. METHODS: In this multicenter study, all obese patients who underwent MIDP at 18 international expert centers were included. The preoperative factors associated with conversion to open surgery were analyzed. RESULTS: Out of 436 patients, 91 (20.9%) underwent conversion to open, presenting higher blood loss, longer operative time and similar rate of major complications. Twenty (22%) patients received emergent conversion. At univariate analysis, the type of approach, radiological invasion of adjacent organs, preoperative enlarged lymphnodes and ASA ≥ III were significantly associated with conversion to open. At multivariate analysis, robotic approach showed a significantly lower conversion rate (14.6 % vs 27.3%, OR = 2.380, p = 0.001). ASA ≥ III (OR = 2.391, p = 0.002) and preoperative enlarged lymphnodes (OR = 3.836, p = 0.003) were also independently associated with conversion. CONCLUSION: Conversion rate is significantly lower in patients undergoing robotic approach. Radiological enlarged lymphnodes and ASA ≥ III are also associated with conversion to open. Conversion is associated with poorer perioperative outcomes, especially in case of intraoperative hemorrhage.

Robotic versus laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy in obese patients.

BACKGROUND: Although robotic distal pancreatectomy (RDP) has a lower conversion rate to open surgery and causes less blood loss than laparoscopic distal pancreatectomy (LDP), clear evidence on the impact of the surgical approach on morbidity is lacking. Prior studies have shown a higher rate of complications among obese patients undergoing pancreatectomy. The primary aim of this study is to compare short-term outcomes of RDP vs. LDP in patients with a BMI ≥ 30. METHODS: In this multicenter study, all obese patients who underwent RDP or LDP for any indication between 2012 and 2022 at 18 international expert centers were included. The baseline characteristics underwent inverse probability treatment weighting to minimize allocation bias. RESULTS: Of 446 patients, 219 (50.2%) patients underwent RDP. The median age was 60 years, the median BMI was 33 (31-36), and the preoperative diagnosis was ductal adenocarcinoma in 21% of cases. The conversion rate was 19.9%, the overall complication rate was 57.8%, and the 90-day mortality rate was 0.7% (3 patients). RDP was associated with a lower complication rate (OR 0.68, 95% CI 0.52-0.89; p = 0.005), less blood loss (150 vs. 200 ml; p < 0.001), fewer blood transfusion requirements (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.15-0.50; p < 0.001) and a lower Comprehensive Complications Index (8.7 vs. 8.9, p < 0.001) than LPD. RPD had a lower conversion rate (OR 0.27, 95% CI 0.19-0.39; p < 0.001) and achieved better spleen preservation rate (OR 1.96, 95% CI 1.13-3.39; p = 0.016) than LPD. CONCLUSIONS: In obese patients, RDP is associated with a lower conversion rate, fewer complications and better short-term outcomes than LPD.

Laparoscopic bile duct exploration during pregnancy: a multi-center case series and literature review.

BACKGROUND: The physiological changes of pregnancy increase the risk of gallstone formation and choledocholithiasis. Traditionally, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) has been the main approach for managing choledocholithiasis during pregnancy, but recent progress in laparoscopic bile duct exploration (LBDE) has demonstrated this technique as a safe and effective alternative option. METHODS: A retrospective multicenter study of all patients who underwent LBDE during pregnancy from five centers with proven experience in LBDE between January 2010 and June 2020 was performed. The primary endpoint was to analyze the role of LBDE during pregnancy and to further characterize its position as a safe and effective alternative for the management of choledocholithiasis. A systematic review of the published literature relating to LBDE during pregnancy until February 2022 was also performed. RESULTS: Five institutions reported performing LBDE during pregnancy in 8 patients. Median surgical time was 75 min (range: 60-140 min). The bile duct was cleared successfully in all patients, and the median hospital stay was 2 days (range: 1-3 days). The literature review identified a total of 7 patients with a successful CBD clearance rate of 86%. There were no major maternal, fetal, or pregnancy-related complications in any of the total 15 patients included. The symptomatic common bile duct lithiasis with deranged liver function tests was the most frequent indication (n=7). CONCLUSION: LBDE during pregnancy appears to be safe and effective. More evidence reporting outcomes of LBDE during pregnancy is needed before any strong recommendations can be made.

Clinical Outcomes After Total Pancreatectomy: A Prospective Multicenter Pan-European Snapshot Study.

OBJECTIVE: To assess outcomes among patients undergoing total pancreatectomy (TP) including predictors for complications and in-hospital mortality. BACKGROUND: Current studies on TP mostly originate from high-volume centers and span long time periods and therefore may not reflect daily practice. METHODS: This prospective pan-European snapshot study included patients who underwent elective (primary or completion) TP in 43 centers in 16 European countries (June 2018-June 2019). Subgroup analysis included cutoff values for annual volume of pancreatoduodenectomies (<60 vs ≥60).Predictors for major complications and in-hospital mortality were assessed in multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: In total, 277 patients underwent TP, mostly for malignant disease (73%). Major postoperative complications occurred in 70 patients (25%). Median hospital stay was 12 days (IQR 9-18) and 40 patients were readmitted (15%). In-hospital mortality was 5% and 90-day mortality 8%. In the subgroup analysis, in-hospital mortality was lower in patients operated in centers with ≥60 pancreatoduodenectomies compared <60 (4% vs 10%, P = 0.046). In multivariable analysis, annual volume <60 pancreatoduodenectomies (OR 3.78, 95% CI 1.18-12.16, P = 0.026), age (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.01-1.14, P = 0.046), and estimated blood loss ≥2L (OR 11.89, 95% CI 2.64-53.61, P = 0.001) were associated with in-hospital mortality. ASA ≥3 (OR 2.87, 95% CI 1.56-5.26, P = 0.001) and estimated blood loss ≥2L (OR 3.52, 95% CI 1.25-9.90, P = 0.017) were associated with major complications. CONCLUSION: This pan-European prospective snapshot study found a 5% inhospital mortality after TP. The identified predictors for mortality, including low-volume centers, age, and increased blood loss, may be used to improve outcomes.

A scoring system for predicting malignancy in intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms of the pancreas: a multicenter EUROPEAN validation.

PURPOSE: A preoperative estimate of the risk of malignancy for intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN) is important. The present study carries out an external validation of the Shin score in a European multicenter cohort. METHODS: An observational multicenter European study from 2010 to 2015. All consecutive patients undergoing surgery for IPMN at 35 hospitals with histological-confirmed IPMN were included. RESULTS: A total of 567 patients were included. The score was significantly associated with the presence of malignancy (p < 0.001). In all, 64% of the patients with benign IPMN had a Shin score < 3 and 57% of those with a diagnosis of malignancy had a score ≥ 3. The relative risk (RR) with a Shin score of 3 was 1.37 (95% CI: 1.07-1.77), with a sensitivity of 57.1% and specificity of 64.4%. CONCLUSION: Patients with a Shin score ≤ 1 should undergo surveillance, while patients with a score ≥ 4 should undergo surgery. Treatment of patients with Shin scores of 2 or 3 should be individualized because these scores cannot accurately predict malignancy of IPMNs. This score should not be the only criterion and should be applied in accordance with agreed clinical guidelines.

Ludens: A Gambling Addiction Prevention Program Based on the Principles of Ethical Gambling.

Gambling is legal in most countries. However, despite having some economic benefits, certain characteristics of gambling can have health consequences, rendering it a public health issue. The effects can be summarized according to the following three "laws" of ethical gambling: "Gambling Dynamics Law": companies' economic gains come directly from players' losses; "Expected Loss Law": the more one gambles, the greater the probability of losing; and "Addiction Law": the more one gambles, the greater the need to play again, leading to further losses. Ludens is a gambling addiction prevention program that has four goals: inform participants about gambling and gambling addiction; sensitize participants to the risk of gambling for health, especially addiction; promote a change in attitudes toward gambling; and alert participants to risky behaviors that can lead to addiction. The prevention program was implemented during 2017 to 2019. Fourteen psychologists presented it to 2372 adolescents (48.8% females, 51.2% males) aged 14-19 years, none of whom were university students, recruited from 42 Spanish high schools in 132 groups taking different courses. The main dependent variables analyzed were the monthly frequencies of gambling, at-risk gambling, and gambling addiction (as measured by the National Opinion Research Center DSM-IV Screen for Gambling Problems, adapted to diagnose gambling disorder according to DSM-5, in which pathological gambling is considered an addictive disorder). Given that all of the gamblers were adolescents (most were minors), fulfilment of 1-3 the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria was considered to indicate a risk of problem gambling. After the administration of Ludens, statistically significant reductions were observed in the three variables of interest: monthly frequency of gambling, percentage of adolescents with risky gambling, and percentage of adolescents with gambling disorder. The results were analyzed according to sex and age (minors vs. adolescents between 18 and 19 years old). The results obtained after applying the prevention program indicate that Ludens is effective as a universal prevention program for gambling addiction.

Saa3 is a key mediator of the protumorigenic properties of cancer-associated fibroblasts in pancreatic tumors.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is characterized by the presence of abundant desmoplastic stroma primarily composed of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). It is generally accepted that CAFs stimulate tumor progression and might be implicated in drug resistance and immunosuppression. Here, we have compared the transcriptional profile of PDGFRα+ CAFs isolated from genetically engineered mouse PDAC tumors with that of normal pancreatic fibroblasts to identify genes potentially implicated in their protumorigenic properties. We report that the most differentially expressed gene, Saa3, a member of the serum amyloid A (SAA) apolipoprotein family, is a key mediator of the protumorigenic activity of PDGFRα+ CAFs. Whereas Saa3-competent CAFs stimulate the growth of tumor cells in an orthotopic model, Saa3-null CAFs inhibit tumor growth. Saa3 also plays a role in the cross talk between CAFs and tumor cells. Ablation of Saa3 in pancreatic tumor cells makes them insensitive to the inhibitory effect of Saa3-null CAFs. As a consequence, germline ablation of Saa3 does not prevent PDAC development in mice. The protumorigenic activity of Saa3 in CAFs is mediated by Mpp6, a member of the palmitoylated membrane protein subfamily of the peripheral membrane-associated guanylate kinases (MAGUK). Finally, we interrogated whether these observations could be translated to a human scenario. Indeed, SAA1, the ortholog of murine Saa3, is overexpressed in human CAFs. Moreover, high levels of SAA1 in the stromal component correlate with worse survival. These findings support the concept that selective inhibition of SAA1 in CAFs may provide potential therapeutic benefit to PDAC patients.

Controlled donation after circulatory death up to 80 years for liver transplantation: Pushing the limit again.

Our main objective was to compare liver transplant (LT) results between donation after circulatory death (DCD) and donation after brainstem death (DBD) in our hospital and to analyze, within the DCD group, the influence of age on the results obtained with DCD donors aged >70 years and up to 80 years. All DCD-LTs performed were analyzed prospectively. The results of the DCD group were compared with those of a control group who received a DBD-LT immediately after each DCD-LT. Later, the results obtained within the DCD group were analyzed according to the age of the donors, considering 2 subgroups with a cut-off point at 70 years. Survival results for LT with DCD and super rapid recovery were not inferior to those obtained in a similar group of patients transplanted with DBD livers. However, the cost of DCD was a higher rate of biliary complications, including ischemic cholangiopathy. Donor age was not a negative factor.

Irreversible sterility of workers and high-volume egg production by queens in the stingless bee Tetragonula carbonaria.

Social insects are characterised by a reproductive division of labour between queens and workers. However, in the majority of social insect species, the workers are only facultatively sterile. The Australian stingless bee Tetragonula carbonaria is noteworthy as workers never lay eggs. Here, we describe the reproductive anatomy of Tcarbonaria workers, virgin queens and mated queens. We then conduct the first experimental test of absolute worker sterility in the social insects. Using a controlled microcolony environment, we investigate whether the reproductive capacity of adult workers can be rescued by manipulating the workers' social environment and diet. The ovaries of T. carbonaria workers that are queenless and fed unrestricted, highly nutritious royal jelly remain non-functional, indicating they are irreversibly sterile and that ovary degeneration is fixed prior to adulthood. We suggest that Tcarbonaria might have evolved absolute worker sterility because colonies are unlikely to ever be queenless.

Gastrointestinal bleeding in a pancreatic arteriovenous malformation successfully treated by transarterial embolization.

Pancreatic arteriovenous malformation (PAVM) is a rare case of upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB), but it must be recognized in clinical practice, as it may be a potentially lethal condition in case of rupture and haemorrhage. This anatomic alteration is extremely rare as less than a hundred cases are reported in the scientific literature. The aim of this work is to report a case of PAVM presented as upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) and successfully treated by transarterial embolization.

Liver transplantation as a rescue surgery after failure of embolization of a giant hepatic artery pseudoaneurysm.

We present the case of a male diagnosed with a giant hepatic artery aneurysm, which first presented with pain and hemorrhage due to a partial rupture of the aneurysm. After discarding treatment with a stent or surgery due to the wide extension, we chose to embolize the hepatic artery with coils. However, the progress was unfavorable after the procedure, with the appearance of liver failure that was resolved by an urgent liver transplantation. Giant hepatic artery pseudoaneurysms are an infrequent entity and their management is a great challenge. The diagnosis is usually delayed due to non-specific clinical signs and the life of the patient may be threatened in the case of rupture. Thus, endovascular or surgical treatment is recommended. Aneurysm embolization or ligation has been described in the literature as a valid treatment option in cases where revascularization by stent or bypass is not possible, as it preserves the viability of the liver due to the portal flow and collateral arteries. However, in the case of the failure of these treatments, liver transplantation is a rescue option.

Epidemiology, Evolution, and Long-Term Survival of Alcoholic Cirrhosis Patients Submitted to Liver Transplantation in Southeastern Spain.

BACKGROUND: Alcoholic cirrhosis (AC) is a common cause of death among individuals abusing alcohol. In the last resort, liver transplantation (LT) is considered the only solution to save the patient's life, generating socioeconomic and public health problems. Clinical and sociodemographic characteristics, rejection frequency, and short- and long-term graft survival are not well known in end-term AC patients undergoing LT. The aim was to determine the sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, their incidence in LT, main pre- and posttransplant complications, and short- and long-term post-transplant graft survival in AC patients in southeastern Spain. METHODS: The medical records of 1,026 patients who underwent LT over the last 23 years were retrospectively reviewed, and demographic data and posttransplant survivals were analyzed and compared. Biochemical characteristics, major pre- and posttransplant complications and short- and long-term survivals were analyzed in a total of 398 male patients with AC undergoing LT. RESULTS: AC and viral cirrhosis are the main indications for LT in our study. Mostly represented in our study are AC men without associated viral infections with a mean age of 53.06 years. Main pretransplant complications in AC patients are ascites (78.3%) and encephalopathy (43.5%), while acute graft rejection is the most common liver posttransplant complication (26.6%), nevertheless with low graft loss frequency (1.1%). AC and autoimmune cirrhosis show the best posttransplant survival in both the short and long term. Patients with AC included on the waiting list for LT were Child-Pugh class B (52.1%) and Model for End-Stage Liver Disease score of 10 to 19 (71.2%). The highest percentage of AC patient survival was observed at 1 year posttransplant (81.2%) and progressively decreased over time up to 10 years posttransplant (69.6%). Pretransplant complications such as ascites and encephalopathy did not have an influence on the percentage of posttransplant survivals, although better survival rates were observed in nonviral AC patients. CONCLUSIONS: AC without viral infections is the main indication for LT in southeastern Spain although its frequency has decreased in last decade. AC is a good indication for LT for its high survival rate and few posttransplant complications. Despite having a high percentage of pretransplant complications (ascites and encephalopathy) but does not appear to influence survivals being observed posttransplant survival rates above those expected. Conversely, viral infections in the patient with AC decrease patient survivals. The main future goals are design new strategies to detect, treat, and reduce AC frequency in our population and know alcoholic recidivism rate posttransplant in our population.

Utility of 18 fludeoxyglucose in preoperative positon-emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) in the early diagnosis of exocrine pancreatic cancer: A study of 139 resected cases. / Utilidad de la 18-fluorodeoxiglucosa en la tomografía por emisión de positrones-tomografía computarizada (PET-TC) preoperatoria en el diagnóstico precoz del cáncer de páncreas exocrino: estudio en 139 casos resecados.

INTRODUCTION: In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), surgical resection is the only curative treatment, but due to its late clinical presentation only 15-25% patients are candidates for curative resection. The aim of this prospective, single-center study is to determine the diagnostic utility of preoperative PET-CT for early detection of PDA and early panIN lesions. METHODS: We studied the histopathological features of PDA and different panIN lesions in 139 surgical samples from patients undergoing pancreatic resection (from 2010-2014), comparing these results with preoperative PET-CT and MDCT study. For tumor diagnosis in PET-CT maximum standard SUV 2.5 was used. Pancreatic baseline SUVmax is the maximum uptake of the radiotracer 18-2FDG on the ROI curve determined for the area of the normal pancreas after pathological reassessment with areas not affected by tumours or preneoplastic lesions. Tumour Uptake Index is the ratio between the tumour SUVmax and pancreatic baseline SUVmax. RESULTS: Using an standard maximum SUV value of 2.5, PET-CT sensitivity was 77.7% (108 of the 139 cases) against 75.5% (105 of the 139 cases) of MDCT. But when we combined this value with maximum SUV of normal pancreatic tissue from each patient, PET-CT sensitivity improved its value to 94.9%. CONCLUSION: A combination of studies of PET-CT in tumor and non-tumor tissue of each patient might be a very useful diagnostic tool not only for preoperative diagnosis of PDA, but also for early panIN lesions.

Prognostic factors in resected pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours: Experience in 95 patients. / Factores pronósticos de los tumores neuroendocrinos de páncreas resecados. Experiencia en 95 pacientes.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to analyze prognostic factors for survival and recurrence in patients with resected pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (PNT). METHODS: Medical records of 95 patients with resected PNT were retrospectively reviewed. The variables studied were: age, sex, form of presentation (sporadic/familial tumors), functionality, type of tumor, localization, type of surgery, tumor size, multifocal tumors and recurrent rate. The new WHO classification (2010) was used. RESULTS: There were 45 men and 50 women. Mean age was 46.8 years. Regarding the mode of presentation, it was sporadic in 66 patients (69.8%) and 29 cases were familial neuroendocrine tumors (30.2%) in association with MEN 1 syndrome. The 59% of patients suffered from non-functional tumors and 41% were functional: 20 insulinoma, 16 gastrinoma, and 3 glucagonoma. Distal pancreatectomy was the most common surgical procedure, followed by tumor enucleation in 19 patients. According to the WHO classification, 59 patients had a PNT G1, 24 PNT G2 and 12 with a poorly-differentiated carcinoma, respectively. The 5-year survival in well-differentiated tumors was 100%, regardless of the functionality. Sporadic PNT are more commonly unifocal (P<0.001), associating liver metastasis. Survival and recurrence rates after a mean follow-up of 85.3 months were 65.8 and 24%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In our experience, WHO classification was an independent prognostic factor in PNT survival.

Groove pancreatitis vs. pancreatic adenocarcinoma: A review of 8 cases. / Pancreatitis del surco versus adenocarcinoma de páncreas: a propósito de 8 casos.

INTRODUCTION: Groove pancreatitis (PS) is an uncommon clinical situation and radiologically it can mimic carcinoma of the periampullary area. The aim of this paper is to study a series of 8 patients who underwent surgery with preoperative diagnosis of pancreatic head mass and subsequent pathological diagnosis of PS. METHODS: In our series, 6 were men and 2 women, with an average age of 51,9 years. Before surgery, all patients had epigastric abdominal pain requiring analgesia at high doses. The preoperative analytical CEA and Ca 19.9 were normal in all patients. Imaging studies showed intrapancreatic solid lesions in 6 of the 8 patients, and in the remaining 2 one papillary mass of 5 and 6cm, respectively, that caused stenosis in the duodenal luz. EUS neoplastic cells were negative in all patients. RESULTS: The immediate postoperative evolution was satisfactory, there are no complications. In our series, no patients have died. The long-term follow-up, in 7 of the 8 patients, has been excellent with disappearance of abdominal pain and improvement of nutritional status. The remaining patient had frequent recurrent episodes of acute pancreatitis, and at 60 months, presented a pseudocyst that has required a Roux-en-Y cystojejunostomy. CONCLUSIONS: PS must be included in the differential diagnosis of pancreatic lesions, which may include carcinoma of the periampullary area and other causes of chronic pancreatitis.

Cooperative Study of the Spanish Pancreas Transplant Group (GETP): Surgical Complications.

UNLABELLED: Technical failure in pancreas transplant has been the main cause of the loss of grafts. In the last few years, the number of complications has reduced, and therefore the proportion of this problem. OBJECTIVES: The Spanish Pancreas Transplant Group wanted to analyze the current situation with regard to surgical complications and their severity. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A retrospective and multicenter study was performed. 10 centers participated, with a total of 410 pancreas transplant recipients between January and December 2013. RESULTS: A total of 316 transplants were simultaneous with kidney, 66 after kidney, pancreas-only 10, 7 multivisceral and 11 retrasplants. Surgical complication rates were 39% (n=161). A total of 7% vascular thrombosis, 13% bleeding, 6% the graft pancreatitis, 12% surgical infections and others to a lesser extent. Relaparotomy rate was 25%. The severity of complications were of type IIIb (13%), type II (12%) and type IVa (8.5%). Graft loss was 8%. Early mortality was 0.5%. The percentage of operations for late complications was 17%. CONCLUSIONS: The number of surgical complications after transplantation is not negligible, affecting one in 3 patients. They are severe in one out of 5 and, in one of every 10 patients graft loss occurs. Therefore, there is still a significant percentage of surgical complications in this type of activity, as shown in our country.

Successful embolization of a cytomegalovirus-related duodenal ulcer in a kidney-pancreas transplant recipient.

One of the complications that can occur in pancreas transplant is a massive intestinal hemorrhage, although such a hemorrhage is very rarely caused by ulcers due to cytomegalovirus infection. Treatment is fundamentally based on relaparatomy, although in some cases interventional radiology can be an efficient alternative because it allows the exact bleeding point to be located and therapeutic embolization to be performed. In this case, a man with diabetes type 1 who was given a simultaneous kidney-pancreas transplant had an ulcer due to cytomegalovirus infection develop in the duodenal graft (in the early postoperative period), causing a severe hemorrhage in the lower part of the gastrointestinal tract that was controlled via selective embolization of a branch of the pancreaticoduodenal artery.